Language conflict between Chisinau and Comrat is politicized, Fiodor Angheli

The language conflict between Chisinau and Comrat is politicized and none of the sides proposed relevant solutions. The statement was made for Info-Prim Neo by Fiodor Angheli, writer and researcher born in a village in Ceadir-Lunga. He is a former parliamentarian and Moldovan Ambassador to Turkey from 1998 to 2001. “Last year, there were students who failed the exam as well, but there wasn’t such a scandal. This time, the Ministry of Education took severe measures to prevent cheating and that’s why there are so many students who flunked”, said Fiodor Angheli. According to him, the blame should be shared by both the Gagauz authorities and the Ministry of Education. The latter didn’t provide competent teachers of Romanian for Gagauz students. The textbook is also too complicated for children whose native language isn’t Romanian, thinks the writer. “Both sides must sit calmly and negotiate and find a consensus. The authorities in Chisinau and Comrat must go in districts, learn about the problems and find their roots. Gagauzia made a big mistake by demanding that students learned the Moldovan language instead of Romanian. I tell you, there is really no difference between Moldovan and Romanian”, stressed the researcher. Fiodor Angheli added that he was working on a new book that would help the Gagauz children and even the elder to learn Romanian easier. In future, he hopes to publish a new Romanian-Russian dictionary for schools in Gagauzia. Gagauzia asked the Ministry of Education to offer a new chance for the 45 lyceum graduates who failed the repeated Romanian exam. As their request was rejected, the Comrat authorities issued their own diplomas to local graduates, a measure heavily criticized by Chisinau. Besides, Gagauz authorities insist that the language is called Moldovan, as stated in the Constitution, and not Romanian.